Nigella Lawson was called “High-Gella” by her ex husband Charles Saatchi because of her alleged daily intake of cocaine and marijuana. According to the millionaire art collector/dealer his former wife was a “habitual criminal” during the entirety of their marriage. He also claimed that their relationship was one of secrecy. These allegations were heard at a London court today.

The 53 year-old celebrity television cook was in the news in June this year after her, then, 70 year-old husband struck her in a restaurant in Mayfair. At the time, Saatchi claimed it was all a misunderstanding and he told police that it was a joking matter that looked worse than it actually was. Despite the art collector’s assurances to law enforcement officials, Lawson left the family home. By August 1, this year, the couple were divorced amid Lawson’s allegations of Saatchi’s cruelty.

It was at the trial of Nigella’s personal assistants; Italian siblings Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo, who are being tried on charges of fraud with a company credit card that Lawson’s drug use became known to the public. The two sisters were said to be living the “high-life” while they worked for Lawson and Saatchi and it was alleged that the TV cook’s lifestyle was a factor.

The Gillo’s legal team attempted to have the proceedings stopped by arguing that they would not get a fair trial. It was pointed out that both Lawson and Saatchi were too well known, especially after their highly publicized divorce in August this year. The defense team felt that both Saatchi and Lawson would manipulate the legal process.

On Tuesday, the Isleworth Crown Court in London found out about the allegations made by Saatchi that his former wife was so “high” on cocaine and pot that she had no idea what she had allowed the Grillo sisters to spend on the credit card. Despite Saatchi’s claim, and the Grillo lawyer’s move, the judge decided that the trial could continue.

Johnson said that, despite the assertions that Lawson’s drug use excluded her as a reliable witness, the trial should go ahead as planned. The judge stated that he felt a fair trial could ensue with proper conduct of the legal proceedings.

Nigella Lawson was called “High-Gella” by her ex husband Charles Saatchi after he heard allegations about her daily drug intake. Something that he claims he knew nothing about.

It was alleged by defence lawyers that Lawson had covered up the severity of her drug use and lied about the amount of money that the Grillo’s had spent because she was fearful of Saatchi’s actions if he found out. With the millionaire’s public display of violence towards Nigella, it would seem that her fears were not misplaced.

The trial has been receiving a lot of attention from the press and this latest information follows an earlier revelation that Saatchi threatened to slap a £300,000 ($487,935) lawsuit on Lawson if she refused to testify at the Grillo’s trial. It is both Saatchi’s and the Grillo’s defense team’s contention that Lawson was so impaired by her drug use that it was her fault that the sisters overspent on the credit card.

While the trial continues the celebrity television cook has been fighting her corner on social media. She has been posting on her Twitter account using the hashtag #teamnigella. She tweeted a recipe that she said was perfect for thanking all those who were supporting her in the case. Her fans on Twitter retweeted the hot cake recipe with the same hashtag. Apparently there are very few #teamsaatchi tweets on the microblogging site.

Aside from Nigella Lawson being called “High-Gella” by her ex husband Charles Saatchi, the millionaire art collector also maintains that his ex wife kept secrets from him.